Virtually walking South America in support of Rainforest Action Network

At Prime Global, we are committed to supporting charities and causes that have a direct impact on our communities. This year, we organised the Prime Global Walking Challenge, a virtual walking challenge as part of our ESG initiative to help raise money for the Rainforest Action Network.

What is the Rainforest Action Network?

Based in California, the Rainforest Action Network is a non-profit organisation that takes action against companies and industries driving deforestation and climate change. They aim to protect the rainforests and uphold human rights through frontline partnerships and strategic campaigns.

Situated just down the road from our own San Francisco offices, the Rainforest Action Network is the perfect charity for us to turn our attention to.

Our walking challenge

Organised by our Department of Healthy Hybrid Working, the Prime Global 2022 Walking Challenge took place over May and June to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month. Nature can have a great impact on our physical and mental health, so focusing our attention on virtually walking through the breath-taking landscapes of South America, home to tropical rainforests and towering mountains, seemed only fitting.

This was a group challenge, meaning everyone who signed up contributed to the total step count as a team. Our goal was to walk a total of 15,693,307 steps – that’s 12,000km!

Our journey

Week 1

The first week saw us walk a total of 2,438,234 steps. We began our journey through the Chocó-Darién moist forests of Columbia, which have the highest rainfall on earth.

Week 2

On completion of week 2, we had walked 5,018,630 steps and made it to Brazil. Along our way, we visited Angel Falls in Venezuela, the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall, Mount Roraima, a prehistoric island in the sky, Kaieteur Falls in Guyana, considered to be the largest single drop waterfall in the world, and the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, the biggest rainforest in the world.

Week 3

Reaching the end of week 3, we had walked a total of 7,295,689 steps and started exploring Peru and Bolivia. We passed through Parque Nacional Madidi, one of the most significant protected areas in Bolivia, Quelccaya Ice Cap, one of the largest tropical ice caps in the world, Colca Canyon, one of the biggest canyons in the world, and Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South Africa.

Week 4

This week saw the team bring the step total up to 10,176,139. Our journey this week saw us make our way through Cotapata National Park, a sub-tropical cloud forest, Parque Nacional del Gran Chaco Kaa Iya, the largest protected dry forest in the world, Uyuni Salt Flats, the biggest salt flats in the world, the rainbow mountains of Quebrada de Humahuaca, and the Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world.

Week 5

On completion of week 5, we had walked a total of 11,992,889 steps and passed through more of Argentina. Along our virtual trek, we visited Parque Nacional Talampaya, the home of the most complete continental fossil record known from the Triassic Period, and Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas.

Week 6

Completion of week 6 brought our team total up to 14,235,117 steps, covering multiple scenic landmarks throughout Argentina and Chile. We passed through Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi, the oldest and second largest national park in Argentina, Launa San Rafael National Park, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, Mount Fitz Roy, one of the most challenging peaks in the world, Perito Moreno Glacier, the third largest reserve of fresh water on the planet, and Torres del Paine, a national park famous for its iconic skyline.

Week 7

Reaching the end of week 7 saw us hit our target, walking a total of 16,568,745 steps, exceeding our target by 875,438 steps. We raced through our last two destinations, Karukinka Natural Park, home to over 100 native species, and Tierra del Fuego National Park, often descripted as the ‘uttermost ends of the earth’.

Week 8

Having reached our target, but not content with stopping there, we pushed on through week 8, taking our total up to 17,525,536 steps. This week saw us enter Antarctica, the fifth largest continent in the world. We passed through the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, the driest place on Earth, with low humidity and almost no snow or ice cover.

Week 9

18,518,597 steps and 14,111km later, we reached the end of our Prime Global Walking Challenge. We succeeded in virtually exploring the beautiful landscapes of South America and even started to explore Antarctica.

This handy map displays the path we (virtually) explored and shows just how much distance we covered as a team.

The finish line

Congratulations and thank you to everyone at Prime Global who completed our walking challenge. We are delighted to donate £10 for every person who participated to Rainforest Action Network, as part of our ESG initiative, to allow them to keep working hard to preserve our forests, protect the climate, and uphold human rights.